Leejnd4

You’re not wrong! You are definitely going in with the right expectations. Have a great cruise! Mine leaves in exactly one month. 😁

If I read the itineraries correctly, it appears that the difference between the two is that the “More” itinerary includes Raiatea, but you get only one day on Moorea, whereas the regular itinerary skips Raiatea and includes two days on Moorea. I’m a huge diver myself, and I’ve been to FP three times but have never dived in Raiatea, so I can’t answer whether it’s a must-see island for divers. I can tell you that Moorea is one of the most beautiful islands in all of FP (many consider it their favorite) AND it has fabulous diving, so for my money I’d rather skip Raiatea and have two days on Moorea: one to dive, and one to do a land-based tour and see the spectacular scenery. If you’re going to be diving at Fakarava and Rangiroa, you are already going to be experiencing about the best diving you can get in FP. So you really can’t go wrong with either of these itineraries. I think it will boil down to where you’d rather dive: Raiatea or Moorea.

In my nearly 40 years of cruising, I have never personally seen a situation in which airfare purchased through the cruise line is less expensive than that which I can purchase myself. Even when a cruise was marketed as “inclusive” of air, I was always able to request the cruise fare without air, and the cost reduction was more than what I paid for air. Further, when you buy air through the cruise line you are limited to the air schedule they want to book for you, unless you want to pay extra for a flight “deviation” which makes it cost even more. In my experience, cruise lines often want to fly you in very close to embarkation, which makes me nervous as hell. I would never want to risk missing my cruise due to a delayed flight. (Note that I’m not saying that air fare is ALWAYS cheaper on your own…only that it’s always been for every cruise I’ve ever priced out. Maybe there are some exceptions, but I’ve never personally seen it.) But to answer your question: yep, the cost for air travel has definitely skyrocketed. Travel and tourism has exploded since the pandemic officially ended…many travel experts are referring to it as “revenge travel”. And the airlines are taking full advantage of this.

We have a booking with Europcar through my Amex account. I do drive a stick, but a reserved an automatic with unlimited mileage. We need it for all four days we are in Papeete as we are staying in an Airbnb outside of the city.

Bummer! Oh well. We’re doing it just the two of us, and I’m sure it will be great.

Our day at Huahine is on November 12. Are you there that day as well?

I’ll add a few thoughts. Like you, I prefer the “luxury” lines - Regent, Crystal, Oceania. I’ve also cruised Windstar, Celebrity and a few other lesser lines. I’ve done PG cruises both when it was a Regent ship, and when it was a standalone cruise line (before Ponant bought it). In my view, the PG sits right up there with the best…but it’s a different experience. It’s head and shoulders above the mass-market lines. I’ve seen some high-end-line cruisers complain that the ship isn’t as luxurious as what they are used to, and I do understand their point…it’s an older ship, and some may feel the decor is lacking the luxury factor. But it’s important to remember that these cruises are not about the ship, but the destination. The ship is purpose-built for sailing these waters and going to tiny islands and into shallow lagoons that most cruise ships can’t get into. The decor, entertainment, and vibe is purely French Polynesia, and you will feel immersed in it. Which I love! It’s such a unique destination, and it’s wonderful to experience such immersion. On other cruise lines, when you are on the ship you could be anywhere in the world. When you are on the PG you know exactly where you are at every moment. Food is always subjective, but in my experience it has been just as excellent as any of the luxury lines I’ve cruised. It does focus more on fresh fish, French cuisine and local foods, and it won’t be as creative or picture-perfect as you’ll find on, say, Crystal (which I’ve read has really stepped up its game since its relaunch, with Michelin-worthy dining…I’ll find out next year!) On my cruises the passengers were a pretty good mix of your typical older, well-traveled luxury-line cruiser along with some honeymooners (it is a bucket-list destination) and active people (its scuba program is unparalleled). I’ve heard there are more French pax since the Ponant purchase… I’ll find out next month! The one area they truly excel is service. If you are a Crystal fan, you’ll feel right at home - the service is friendly, personal and professional without being overbearing. I agree that 7 days is just too short. I’ve done the Cook Islands, Tuomotus and the Marquesas - all itineraries are wonderful, I can’t pick a favorite! This time I’m on a ten-day Society-Tuomotus itinerary - if you are a scuba diver, that’s the one to pick IMO. The diving in the Tuomotus is world-class. Verandas are such a personal choice. I don’t bother…I spend so much time on deck enjoying the beautiful views and excellent service that I would rarely use one. I am using my OBC for an excursion and for a spa massage. 😁 I booked my excursions a few weeks ago and I haven’t been charged. It’s been a while since I was last on this ship, so I’m sure others who have been on more recently can offer other perspectives. I can’t wait for my cruise! As for dress code, it will definitely be more casual than the other luxury lines. You will see no gowns or tuxes, and very few if any sequins. Sun dresses and Hawaiian shirts rule the balmy evenings. 😉

Hoping the weather clears up for you!

Hi Ray & Ann, We've got it on our To Do list for the afternoon of boarding, to head to La Veranda and ask to make our reservations at La Veranda and Le Grill. 🙂 Right after I book my dives, of course! See you in a couple months! 😁

Great information! Thanks! I love the way they list out the drinks and their ingredients...reminded me of some cocktails I'd forgotten about that I used to enjoy. I'll be trying a Sidecar at some point on my upcoming cruise. 🙂

And that's one of the reasons I chose the PG for my French Polynesia cruise. You just can't beat the convenience of diving right from the ship!

WHERE WAS THIS?? I don't recall reading about private whale swims! Is it something you did during the cruise? If so, I need to find out how to arrange this!

That's wonderful to hear! Our cruise is two months away. Getting super excited! Enjoy your vacay on Moorea. 🙂

Great choice! Are you doing the IC? It's really a lovely property and the pools are fabulous. The food is a bit pricy, but it'll be worth it just to enjoy a relaxing day at a lovely resort.

That's another great option! That's actually what we did that one time we used the IC for a dayroom...we booked it ourselves, as the cost through the PG was insane. We didn't feel we needed a tour (we'd done enough touring at that point) and we bought our own lunch. Saved hundreds. I suppose if money is no object, but I don't really see the value in paying hundreds more dollars just to have the PG book the room. The transfers, lunch and tour definitely do not add up to that amount. That said, I do understand that some people prefer the convenience of leaving everything to the cruise line. I'm just way too much of a DIY traveler to do that. 😉

We did the dayroom at the Intercontinental once, and it's a beautiful property for sure, but the amount of money for the one day just seemed outrageous to us. Here's two other ideas for your disembarkation day: one is to rent a car and drive yourself around Tahiti for the day. It doesn't give you a place to hang out, but it does give you the freedom to go check out the island, have a leisurely lunch, and then drop the car off at the airport in plenty of time to wait for your flight. Another option is to get an AirBnb for the night. You can get a really nice apartment in Papeete, close to the cruise ship pier, for far less than a decent hotel room, and that will give you the opportunity to relax, spread out, walk around, shower before your flight etc. Better than getting a hotel room, IMO. You would need to ask the host if they would allow an early check-in. Many of them will, especially since you won't be spending the night. I have friends who did this and it worked out great.

That's gorgeous! How did you get that shot? It looks like a drone! I thought I read you can't bring a drone aboard?

Those are AMAZING shots! Who took those? I am SOOOO hoping I get that close to them! And I want to thank you for taking the time out of your cruise to keep us updated on how the diving is going. It's really ratcheting up the anticipation factor. I CAN'T WAIT! 😁😁😁

Thanks so much for this info! I'll be doing the first two dives on day one in Bora Bora as well. Can't wait to hear from you how they were!

Excellently articulated. My TA has great contacts at Paul Gauguin, which turned out to be a huge benefit just a couple weeks ago. I learned that the PG just recently changed their requirements to be able to scuba dive, and I had an issue with a couple of them (mainly because I've been diving for so long that I no longer log dives or bother with getting additional certifications). My TA was able to talk directly with the Marina Supervisor on the ship, who made an exception for me. So I will be able to dive on my upcoming cruise. If I didn't have a TA with such close contacts, I don't know if this would have been worked out. That's just an example of the ways in which a TA can go to bat for you. 🙂

If my comment came across as implying you are not capable of booking your own cruises, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intent at all. I've been cruising for as long as you have, and have traveled all over the world by both land, cruise ship and our own sailboat, and I very much tend to be a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to booking travel. So I hear you and can totally relate. But I've also learned that every cruise line has its quirks. As capable a traveler as I am, any time I'm trying a new cruise line, I will try to find a TA who specializes in that cruise line, knows their ships, knows their quirks. For example, I've had TAs steer me away from particular cabins that I thought were good, due to issues I didn't know about and wouldn't have learned about otherwise. We don't know what we don't know, y'know? 🙂 But even if that's not a good enough reason, there's the financial benefits. I see no reason to leave money on the table. I am about to take a PG cruise, and I got a nice fat OBC not only from my TA, but from their travel consortium due to the fact that this particular cruise is a "hosted" cruise. It's enough to cover two excursions and have enough left over for a massage! I'm also getting a very generous OBC from my TA for the Crystal cruise I have booked for next year. I guess my point is, I can think of no reason NOT to use a TA, and multiple reasons TO use one. But I'm sure you'll do what's right for you, and I wish you all the best.

Allow me to chime in with my agreement that you DEFINITELY want to book with a TA. And try to find one who is experienced with Crystal. This is true for nearly every cruise line - always better to book with a TA who knows the cruise line well, has contacts there, can answer questions for you, and even pull strings for something if necessary. I know of too many people who made huge errors trying to book their own cruises...mistakes that would have been avoided if they'd used a knowledgable TA. And besides that, TAs will usually be able to give you some OBC. They can't "discount" cruises the way they used to many years ago - all TAs must sell cruises for the same basic price - but they ARE allowed to give you OBC, which can be a nice financial boon (and bring your overall cost of the cruise down).

I'm sure you're right, but I think I prefer Keith's idea that some singles may want to have an overnight guest. Makes me think of a Crystal cruise in a whole different way! 😉

True. They may someday decide they are losing money keeping those rooms as singles. It really is a great deal! I'm sure they are selling out because people cruising together are able to afford to each have their own room. I'm glad I snagged one for a cruise next year.

LOL that was my first thought. 😉 I realize we can ask to have them made up as a queen, but I would have thought that a better thing to do for the SGRs is to have a regular full-sized bed (one that doesn't split into two twins). Since that cabin will always be only for one person, they could even have the bed size be something smaller than a queen, making the cabin feel more spacious. But maybe it was less costly for them to have all the cabins have the exact same beds.